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Writer's pictureDr. Deepessh Divaakaran
Nov 196 min read

Teachers Are Not Employees - The Problem with Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in Academia

Lately, colleges and universities have started acting more like businesses.


We hear words like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Academic Performance Indicators (APIs), and Research Competency Index (RCI) being used in schools now.


These terms help measure progress, but they forget something important: Universities and Colleges aren’t companies, and education is not the same as business.

Teachers Are Not Employees
Teachers Are Not Employees

One big problem with using a business approach is how it affects teachers. Teachers are being judged by corporate-like standards, but without the usual rewards like salary raises, promotions, or recognition. Teachers don’t have clear career paths that are tied to how well they perform, like people do in corporate jobs.


So, how can we expect them to stay motivated when typical business rewards just don’t fit the education world?

The Problem with Using Business Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in Academia

In the corporate world, it’s pretty simple: do well, meet your goals, and get a promotion or a bonus. But education is different.


For teachers, career growth is often slow, and raises don’t usually depend on how well they perform. This means even if teachers meet all their goals, they can still feel discouraged because their hard work isn’t rewarded in a meaningful way.


The real question is whether these business metrics belong in education at all. Teaching is not just a job; it’s about changing students’ lives.

Metrics like KPIs might be helpful for management, but they can’t measure the real impact of a teacher—like inspiring a student, encouraging critical thinking, or sparking a lifelong love for learning.


Differentiation Between Teachers and Corporate Employees
Differentiation Between Teachers and Corporate Employees

  1. Focus on Quantitative Over Qualitative Outcomes

    Business metrics prioritize numbers, such as profit margins and efficiency rates, which can lead to an overemphasis on easily measurable factors like student grades, research papers, or placement statistics. This neglects the qualitative aspects of education, such as fostering critical thinking, creativity, ethical values, and the lifelong impact teachers have on students.


  2. Misalignment with the Purpose of Education

    The goal of businesses is profit and growth, while education aims to nurture individuals, build societal knowledge, and address long-term community needs. Applying business metrics often shifts the focus from the holistic development of students and teachers to meeting performance indicators, which undermines the essence of education.


  3. Inadequate Representation of Teacher Contributions

    Teachers’ work involves mentoring, inspiring, and addressing diverse student needs, much of which cannot be captured by metrics like Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or Academic Performance Indicators (APIs). As a result, their true contributions may go unrecognized, leading to demotivation and dissatisfaction.


  4. Encourages a Competitive, Not Collaborative, Environment

    Business metrics often foster competition, where individuals strive to outperform each other for rewards. In education, such an approach can discourage collaboration among educators, stifling knowledge-sharing and teamwork, which are essential for creating enriched learning environments.


  5. Short-Term Gains at the Cost of Long-Term Impact

    Metrics such as student placements or research publications may drive short-term goals but fail to account for the long-term societal contributions of education, such as fostering ethical leadership, civic responsibility, and innovation. This misalignment can create an educational system that prioritizes immediate results over meaningful, sustainable impact.


  6. Overlooks Emotional and Social Development

    Metrics like KPIs and APIs often ignore the importance of emotional intelligence, interpersonal skills, and social adaptability in students. Education's role in developing these attributes cannot be quantified but is essential for creating well-rounded individuals capable of thriving in complex, real-world environments.


  7. Standardization Stifles Creativity and Individuality

    Business metrics often require standardization, but education thrives on diversity in teaching styles, student learning methods, and institutional goals. Over-reliance on rigid metrics can suppress creativity in the classroom and limit students’ ability to explore innovative and non-linear thinking.


  8. Risk of Erosion of Trust and Intrinsic Motivation

    Measuring performance through rigid business metrics can erode the intrinsic motivation of teachers and students, replacing it with extrinsic rewards and punishments. This shift can damage the trust-based relationship between educators and students, reducing teaching and learning to mere transactional interactions.



What Really Motivates Teachers: Internal Motivation and Its not Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

Since traditional rewards like promotions or bonuses don’t really work for teachers, we need to focus on what actually drives them.


Teachers are naturally motivated by things like purpose, recognition, personal growth, and the desire to make a difference.

Here’s how colleges and universities can support what teachers really care about:

  1. Recognition Beyond Numbers

    Teachers feel more motivated when their hard work is noticed. Schools can create ways to celebrate creative teaching, research, and student achievements linked to specific teachers. A simple thank you during a meeting, in a newsletter, or on social media can make teachers feel appreciated.


  2. Opportunities for Professional Growth

    Many teachers love learning just as much as they love teaching. Giving them chances to take courses, attend conferences, or work on research projects can be just as rewarding as a pay raise. When teachers feel like they’re growing, they’re more likely to stay motivated.


  3. Different Roles for Growth

    Even if traditional promotions are rare, schools can offer different roles to help teachers grow. Teachers can become mentors, lead departments, help design courses, or coordinate research. These roles let teachers grow without leaving the classroom.


  4. Freedom to Be Creative

    Teaching is both an art and a science. When teachers have the freedom to try new teaching methods, create interesting lessons, and adjust to their students' needs, they feel more ownership of their work. Having that freedom is a powerful motivator.


  5. Celebrating Student Success

    For many teachers, the biggest reward is seeing their students do well. Schools should share student success stories and link them back to the teachers who helped make it happen. This helps teachers see the real impact of their work and reminds them of their purpose.


  6. Encouraging Teamwork

    Unlike the competitive nature of the business world, education works best when people work together. Encouraging teachers to share knowledge, help each other, and work as a team can create a community where everyone feels supported.


  7. Work-Life Balance and Wellbeing

    A happy teacher is a good teacher. Schools should make sure teachers don’t have too much work, offer mental health support, and help teachers keep a good work-life balance. When teachers feel cared for, they can give their best to their students.



Aligning Metrics with the True Purpose of Education

Metrics like KPIs can be helpful, but they shouldn’t be the only way we measure a teacher’s value. Teaching is about shaping minds and changing lives—something you can’t always measure with numbers.


Schools need to find a balance between holding teachers accountable and recognizing the deep, often unmeasurable impact of education.

For example:


  • Instead of only focusing on the number of research papers published, recognize teachers for using creative teaching methods or making a difference in the community.

  • Instead of just looking at student pass rates, consider how well teachers help students develop critical thinking, creativity, and a love for learning.



As education changes, we need to avoid treating it completely like a business. Teachers aren’t employees chasing quarterly goals; they’re mentors shaping the future.

To motivate teachers, we need to respect their unique role and values. By focusing on internal rewards, encouraging independence, and celebrating the real value of teaching, schools can create a place where teachers feel appreciated and motivated—even without typical business-style rewards.


In the end, education is about more than numbers; it’s about transforming lives.

Let’s rethink how we motivate teachers and build a culture that inspires them to do what they do best: spark the love of learning in their students.



 

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